Self-adjusting doorknob



` March 11 19243.

A. ANDERSON SELF ADJUSTING DORKNB Filed July 28 l1922 A I Tf/g l//////Patented Mar. l1, 1924.

AUGUSTUS ANDERSON, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

SELF-ADJUSTING DOORKNOB.

Application led July 2S, 1922. Serial No. 578,254=.`

To all whom z't may' concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-AdjustingDoorknobs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to knob spindles and has for one of its objectsto provide a device of this character having means whereby the knobs aredetachably and adjustably coupled to the spindle and without detachingany of the parts.

Vith these and other objects in View the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claim, and in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the inventionz- Figure 1 isa longitudinal sectional elevation of a pair of door knobs and theirspindle, with the improvement applied,

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the plug.

The spindle is represented conventionally at 10, the knobs at 11, andthe knob shanks at 12, the spindle having ratchet teeth 13 at the ends,and received by the ratchet portions in the longitudinal sockets 14 ofthe Shanks, as shown.

The shanks 14 of the knobs are each likewise formed with a lateralsocket 15 communicating with the longitudinal socket and with anobliquely directed guideway 16 communicating with the lateral socket.

Movably disposed within each lateral socket is a plug 17 having a toe 18at the inner end to engage one of the ratchet teeth 13 and with alaterally enlarged head 19 extending over the adjacent portion of theshank.

Formed in one side of each of the plugs 17 is a seat 20 to receive theinner end of a spring 21 within the guideway 16, and held in place by athreaded holding pin 22. By this means the plug 17 is yieldablysupported in engagement with the spindle, and by employing a pluralityof the ratchet teeth, it is obvious that the knobs may be adjusted uponthe spindle to correspond to the thickness of the door to which thedevice is applied. c

Each of the head portions 19 is formed with a small cut away portionindicated at 28, to receive a point of a small screw driver, or the liketo permit the plug 17 to be forced outwardly a suiicient distanceagainst the resistance of the spring 21, to release the toe portion 18of the plug from engagement with the ratchet teeth and thus release theknob.

In applying the knobs, the inclined faces of the ratchet teeth permitthe knobs to be forced to any required distance upon the spindle.

The improved device is simple in ccnstruction, can be simply constructedand at a triiiing additional expense. By forming the ratchet relativelysmall, the adjustments can be correspondingly slight to adapt the deviceto small differences in the thicknesses of doors.

rlhe preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawingsand set forth in the specification, but it will be understood thatmodifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made inthe construction without departing from the principle of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages. v

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed is A deviceof the class described comprising a knob and its shank with alongitudinally directed socket and a laterally directed guideway in theshank communicating with the socket and an obliquely directed guidewaycommunicating with the laterally directed guideway, a spindle movable inthe socket and having a plurality of ratchet teeth, a plug movablyengaging in said laterally directed guideway and with a tooth at theinner end to engage the teeth of the spindle one at a time and laterallyenlarged at the outer end to bear upon the shank when in operativeposition to hold the plug from abnormal inward movement, said plughaving a il shaped recess registering when in one position with theobliquely directed guideway, a spring within the guideway and engageableat one end in the recess of the plug, and means for holding said springwithin the guideway.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto. i- "T AUGUSTUSANDERSON.

